Illuminating oil and process of making same



, UNITED isrATEs PATENT orrics 'FBANKW. HALL, or re r Ass m, TEXAS, assienon, BY MESNE' ssronmnnrs, 'ro

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 rHEfirExAs' coMnANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,' A conPoitA'rIoN or DELAWARE "ILL MINATIN orL Am)" rnocnss or MAKING'SAME @will not flare up or die. out wh signaling lantern under normal conditions of service, and which will'burn for the required No Drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminating oils and has particular referlength oftime in suchailanterniwithout the formation of carbonaceous crusts upon-"the wick which would tend to loweror ext nguish In certain types of oil lamps, for example the handlante'rns used byirailway men for signaling,it is necessary that a special oil having :unus'ual properties shall be used. Such lanterns when used for signaling are often quickly raised and lowered or whirled about the head of the Signalman so that there is a tendency for the oil to be either forced up the wick too rapidly or drawn down into the oil reservoir entirely, thus causing the flame to flare up and smoke the lantern globe or to die out to such an extent that the i1- lumination is negligible.

The ordinary kerosene or burning oil fractions of petroleum are entirely unsuited for this purpose as they will not furnish a steady flame during the sudden movements of the signaling lantern, and inpractice such oils are never used in this service. However, it

has long been known that the compounding of a comparatively small proportion of a fatty oil, such for example as lard oil, with one of the heavier kerosene fractions of petroleum resulted in a signal oil having markedly improved burning qualities in that the tendency for the flame to fluctuate in height and intensity was considerably reduced. Although such compounded oils may be said to give fairly satisfactory service from the above-mentioned standpoint, they have the disadvantage of a tendency toward wick incrustation manifest by the formation of carbonaceous growths or deposits upon the Application. filed'J-anuary 9, '1926. Serial wick which mayin a few hours completely extinguish the lantern in which the oil is being used. It is obvious that this is a serious matter in the case of railway signal lanterns which are required to give satisfactory and uninterrupted service for as long. as sixteen hours or more at a stretch.

. Now, I. have discovered that by compounding a high grade kerosene 011 or burning oil fraction of petroleum with a very highly purified viscous hydrocarbon oil insteadv of the usual fatty oil, illuminating oils suitable for use in. signal lanterns may be prepared which will give very superior service without wick incrustation and without substantial fluctuation in the height of the flameduring normal signaling operations.

In the preparation of such compounded signal oils it is essential that the viscous hydrocarbon oil shall be of the correct grade and of the very highest degree of purity. The oil must-be approximately water white in color and must notcontain any asphaltic or tarry material or inorganic salts which might have a tendency to form a crust upon the lamp wick during use. There are various manufacturing white viscous hydrocarbon oils known to petroleum refiners such for example, as treating the oil with fuming sul- .furic acid or with anhydrous aluminum chlorid while under the influence of heat. However, for the production of the very pure viscous oils required for the purpose of manufacturing signal oils, I prefer to follow the procedure hereinafterdescribed.

methods of The petroleum, either of asphaltic or p araffin base, is subjected to distillation with steam or vacuum until a fractionhaving the desired properties as regards viscosity, flash point .etc. is obtained. Such aportion ofthe oil may be an overhead the qualities of the final product, due to distillate or a residuum as the intensive purificationto which the oilis subjected, are independent of this stepin the refining. process. The oil fraction, distilled'to proper test, is then treated with sulfuric acid,

the quantity of acidused varying with the particular type of oil which it is desired to refine. Af,ter,the treatment with acid, the oil is subjected to further purification by upward percolation through a column of fullers earth or equivalent adsorbent material until rendered substantially colorless or water white. As an aid in the treating and filoils. may vary to a considerable degree; that channel and will not be wholly purifiedin is, the oil may be derived from naphthene or parafiin base crude petroleum and may be either a distillate or a residual product. The viscosity may range from say 400 seconds at 100 (Saybolt universal) to 200 seconds at 210 F. (Saybolt universal) but I have found that, in general a residual oil derived from a Ash N parafiin base crude petroleum refined by the above described preferred method and having approximately the following physical characteristics is most suitable for my purpose.

,Viscosity 100 to 150 seconds at 210 F.

I (Saybolt universal). Color Water white.

Iodine value Approximately zero.

one. Thus, in the preparation of a signal oil according to my invention, a viscous oil of the with the kerosene.

type which I have just described is mixed with a high grade and highly purified heavy kerosene fraction of petroleum commonly known as 300 oil or mineral seal oil,'in the proportion'of from Ste 40% or even more, although with an oil of this particular grade, I have found that approximately 25-% by volume is the most satisfactory quantity to mix The resulting oil is far better than that produced by using a fatty oil and as far as is known at present, is unequaled for service in signal lanterns.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore,only such limitations should be imposed as are'indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An illuminating oil of the type adapted for feeding through a wick, comprising a mixture of a kerosene fraction of petroleum and a lesser'proportion of a highly purified viscous hydrocarbon oil having a viscosity exceeding 100 seconds (Saybolt) at 210 F. adapted to modify the burning properties of the kerosene fraction, to furnish a uniform' the kerosene fraction,

burning flame without formation of substan- 100 seconds (Saybolt) at 210 F. adapted to modify the burning properties of the kerosene fraction, to furnish a uniform burning flame without formation of substantial incrustation of the Wick during use."

3. An illuminating oil of the type adapted v for feeding through a Wick, comprising a mixture of a kerosene fraction of'petroleum and a highly purified substantially water white hydrocarbon oil having a viscosityexceeding 100 seconds (Saybolt) at 210 F and adapted to modify the burning properties of to furnish a uni'form burning flame without formation of substantial incrustation of the Wick during use.

.4. An illuminating oil ofthe type adapted for feeding through a wick, comprising a mixture of a kerosene fraction of petroleum and a highly purified substantially water white residual oil derived from a paraffin base crude petroleum, being adapted to modify the burning properties of the kerosenefraction,

9 to furnish a uniform burning flamewithout 0 formation of substantial wick during use. 7 1 V 1 In witness whereof I have hereunto set-my hand this 30th day of December, 1925.

. FRANK W. HALL.

incrustation of the 

